Tucker. Lori Foster

up a little.”

      “Probably.” He started on the buttons of his shirt. It was ridiculous the way her eyes flared a little, how she settled back as if expecting a show. Living on a big vacation lake meant she saw men in nothing more than trunks all summer long.

      He pulled the tails free of his pants and shrugged the sodden, muddy fabric from his shoulders.

      When he reached for the black T-shirt, she held it out of reach. “You’re tanned.”

      Did her voice sound huskier? “Yeah, so?” The way her rapt gaze moved over him, he almost felt naked. “I’m not always in uniform, you know.”

      She ignored that to say, “You’re hairier than I expected.”

      He looked down at his own chest, which, far as he could tell, was about average in the hair department. He wasn’t an ape, but neither was he fifteen and baby-butt smooth.

      Scoffing, he asked, “Expected me to manscape, did you?”

      “Not really, no.” She deeply inhaled and slowly handed him the shirt. Her eyes locked on his. “I like it.”

      Great. Something he didn’t need to know. He took the shirt, but only held it at his side. “Kady...”

      “Hmm?”

      The way she positioned herself on the cabinet, hands braced beside her hips, arms straight, one leg bent and breasts thrust forward, was enough to distract any man. “I know it’s like a habit to you, but you really shouldn’t flirt with me.”

      That got her attention off his body. “A habit?”

      “You do it with everyone.”

      “I’m nice to everyone.” Brows coming together, she straightened away from the cabinet. “That’s different from flirting.” She threw up her hands. “God save me from obtuse men.”

       “Obtuse?”

      Her eyes narrowed. “If you can’t see what’s right in front of you, then yes, you’re obtuse.”

      Somehow he was closer to her again. “I doubt the town would elect a stupid sheriff.”

      Tipping her head back, she stared up at him in blatant challenge. “Oh, you do fine as a sheriff. But as a man...?” She shrugged.

      A wash of heat burned his skin and made his nostrils flare. He leaned down, crowding her space. “I’ll have you know...” What? “I do fine as a man.” God, that was so lame.

      She looked at his mouth. “Can’t prove it by me.”

      Oh, so bold—and so close. Her lips were damp, her eyes heavy, and everything about her screamed an invitation. Could she possibly know what it did to him, having her look at him like that? Did she know that he was getting hard?

      Wrestling with temptation, Tucker tried to draw back, but it was as if their gazes had locked and he couldn’t pull free. Maybe he even leaned closer...

      Suddenly, headlights flashed in the rear windows of the van, blinding them both. He lifted a hand, turning toward the roar of a muscled engine. Through the windows he saw a car wildly careening toward them. Fast. Too fast.

      In his gut, he knew they’d be hit.

      Kady squeaked as he grabbed her close and bore her down to the floor on her butt, her face tucked against his chest, his body curling over and around hers protectively. They had no time for anything else, not for explanations or preparation, before the car heavily sideswiped the van with a jolting impact. The screech of metal on metal filled the air as the car shoved the van farther off the road and into the mud.

      For one heart-stopping moment, Tucker thought it might roll, but it rocked back with a deep shudder that sent something with hard corners tumbling down onto his shoulder.

      Grunting at the sharp pain, teeth locked, he gave thanks that he’d thought to cover Kady’s head so thoroughly. Instinctively, his arms tightened around her, and he ignored the ache to his shoulder muscle.

      The seconds ticked by.

      When nothing else happened, he cautiously lifted his head. She kept her face against him, her small hands curled on his chest.

      He could feel her trembling.

      After one stroke to her hair, he unwound from her and helped her to sit up. His shoulder screamed, but he had other priorities. “Are you okay?”

      Eyes big and glassy, she nodded. “You?”

      Anger washed away a lot of the pain. “Fine. Stay here.” He got up and looked through the front windshield in time to see the car’s taillights disappear around a bend in the road.

      The reckless bastard hadn’t even stopped.

      With the distance, the rain and the dark, there was no way to see the license-plate number.

      Kady sat cross-legged on the floor, her palms to her cheeks. “I guess the driver didn’t see us.”

      “The jackass was driving too fast to see anything, especially on a night like this.” But he couldn’t have missed that force of contact. Tucker crouched in front of her. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

      “Just shaken.” She put a hand to his neck.

      Her palm was soft, small, cool to the touch...and yet, he felt scorched. Asinine. It was only his damned neck.

      She swallowed. “I take back what I said.”

      Wondering if he’d ever understand her, Tucker asked, “Which part?”

      “About you being an obtuse man.” Her fingers stroked a little. “You have amazing reflexes, and I... I appreciate that you thought of me.”

      Tucker had no idea what to say to that. Truthfully, when he’d realized what would happen, he’d been able to think only of her.

      “I mean, I know you’d have done the same with any woman. I’m not insinuating... That is, I realize...” Her voice faded and she shook her head, then said firmly, “Thank you.”

      After doing his best to behave, it was crazy that her uncertainty would push him right over the edge, but that’s what happened. For once she wasn’t flirting, wasn’t flaunting that teasing persona.

      At this moment, here—with him—she was open and vulnerable and real.

      Needing to touch her, comfort her, Tucker put his knuckles under her chin and brought her face up to his. Those summer-sky eyes searched his, and he saw her dawning awareness seconds before he kissed her.

      Her lips were soft and warm, slightly parted. She made a sexy, husky sound in the back of her throat and immediately, urgently squeezed closer, her arms twining around his neck, her breasts pressing to his chest.

      Tucker turned his head for a better fit, licked along her lips until she opened her mouth, then he kissed her as he wanted, his tongue sliding over hers, learning her taste, absorbing her warmth. Possessing her.

      Both of them breathed harder.

      Who knew how far things might’ve gone if she hadn’t rushed him, if her arms hadn’t squeezed tight—and if his shoulder hadn’t made him cringe, just a little, from the ache.

      She levered back, her confused gaze flicking over his face, then focusing on his shoulder. She leaned half over him, inspecting...and gasped in renewed upset. “Tucker Turley, you’re hurt.”

      * * *

      KADY IGNORED TUCKER’S continued grumbling as the ER doc looked over the X-ray. The bruising on his shoulder was awful, going partway down his back, spreading over the top of his shoulder as if reaching for his neck, and crawling down over one pec muscle.

      A really hot, nicely defined pec muscle.

      Actually, his whole chest